


Gifts

by Mr_DeBlob



Category: Aerois (High Rollers D&D Campaign), Yogscast "High Rollers" D&D Campaign
Genre: Dancing, Feelings, Fluff, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, at least until the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 05:49:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17156399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_DeBlob/pseuds/Mr_DeBlob
Summary: This Sundmira's Day, Dunell decided to run a little experiment. Can dancing really bring out what people love about each other?





	Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so I'm getting this out on Christmas like I planned! Enjoy some holiday Quillucius everybody! Hope you enjoy dance lessons.

Emotions were easy things to manipulate, and nobody knew this better than Dunell. He was a bard, hell, it was practically part of the job description. A few words, a melody, and perhaps a tiny bit of magic and BOOM, you can get anybody to do whatever you want. He’d been refining these skills forever now, and they always managed to come in handy.  
  
Especially when it came to the more well-off folks.  
  
Dunell could always do with a bit of luxury in his life, and luckily the rich always had bit of luxury to spare. They constantly had more than they could spend, so why not spend it on someone else? After all, who would refuse such a charming, handsome man such as he?  
  
Of course, it wasn’t enough for Dunell to simply get money from them. He had done that so much it became routine to him. No, he liked to see how well he could ‘solve’ the lives of his affluent companions. Making up and messing with relationships, smoothing over the quarrels that always popped in high society, and perhaps even capturing someone’s heart for himself.  
  
He quickly became known for his affable abilities among the affluent, gaining a reputation through his bardic skill with emotions. It wasn’t long before he was sought after by many a rich folk, being hired for talking down centuries-long rivalries, making heirs fall in love to amass family fortunes, and reigniting old flames. All with his melodious voice and skillful fingers.  
  
Soon, he was given the title of “Honeysung,” and while it was a rather vague way of describing what he did, as long as rich people understood what it meant, Dunell was set for life.  
  
After all, he only really needed to start with a few well-placed words.  
  
“Why don’t you teach Quill how to dance, Lucius?”  
  
That was why he took up matchmaking as his favorite pastime.  
  
“Eh... excuse me, Dunell?” Lucius was a bit confused by what he just heard.  
  
“I said, why don’t you teach Quill how to dance, Lucius?”  
  
“No, no, no, I heard you the first time. I’m just a bit confused as to why you felt a need to say that in the first place?”  
  
Dunell had been watching Lucius take the dance floor after Vans was dispatched from the Sundmira’s Day holiday party.  
He was obviously well-trained, and soon, he found himself dancing with many men and women throughout the night, giving them a great time and letting them forget their worries from earlier in the night.  
  
Needless to say, Dunell was impressed.  
  
And he was sure that someone else in this room was fascinated by the high elf’s dancing skills as well. He just wanted to help them out a little.  
  
Currently, Lucius was taking a break from dancing with so many people. He had become quite popular tonight, and decided to tell Dunell about his many partners, talking about the many trivial things that the rich are so fond of talking about.  
  
That was when the bard decided to try and put his little experiment into action.  
  
Earlier in the day, the high elf was just another wallet for Dunell at first. Naive, rich, and uninhibited in his spending habits, the dwarf knew almost instantly that this was a man he could use his skills on. The fact that Lucius wanted to pay him three or four platinums to a person he just met was all the proof he needed.  
  
However, right before they went out to buy new outfits for the party, someone else caught his attention too. The Aarakocra.  
  
_Is it just my imagination, or does our feathered friend have a few feelings for the fop?_  
  
When there was talk of dancing at the party from Lucius, Quill’s gaze seemed to drift towards the high elf and stay there just a touch longer than necessary. It was a tiny detail, but one that aroused a bit of suspicion in Dunell.  
  
Maybe he should keep an eye on him. Just in case. Who knows? Perhaps it’ll turn into more than just feelings if, say, a bard saw some potential.  
  
Dunell, Lucius, Quill, and Aila headed off to buy outfits from the renown designer Dusk Needle. Well, Lucius was going to buy outfits for himself, Dunell, and Lucius. And Aila tagged along because for some strange reason, she wanted to see Quill in a suit.  
  
Dunell supposed that she was rather bored in Goldthrone. A bit too civilized for a wild elf like her.  
  
Lucius had made a point of getting outfits for each one of them, custom-made and absolutely suited to every person. He talked about how fine and delicate this fashion process was.  
  
Apparently that meant spouting random words and hoping that something sticks from what Dunell saw.  
  
_These Sky City folks certainly are something else, aren’t they?_  
  
In the middle of this ‘design session,’ there was a brief moment where something... enlightening happened.  
  
As Dusk Needle took down notes on what Lucius was saying, there was a point of confusion when the high elf talked about how since they were doing pairs, he wanted the outfits to join together to create an “ultimate beauty.”  
  
That was news to Aila and Quill.  
  
“What?” Quill said.  
  
“We’re doing pairs?” Aila asked.  
  
Lucius only looked at them both and gestures as if this was common knowledge.  
  
“Yes, for the dance!”  
  
Aila only shook her head, muttering a series of no’s to herself. Quill meanwhile was a bit confused by what Lucius was saying.  
  
“D-did the note say there was a dance?” he said, nervousness flooding his face.  
  
Shrugging his shoulders, Lucius said “No, but there’s always a dance, you know.”  
  
Quill shifted his gaze downwards, nervousness quickly being replaced by something else.  
  
“Oh...”  
  
Dunell watched these proceedings with great interest. He wasn’t the only one, apparently, as a faint scratching sound he heard had him see Dusk Needle writing down... something in his notepad. The ember elf’s eyes watched the group’s exchange closely, taking in all of their banter.  
  
_The mind of a creator will use all the resources they get, I suppose. I wonder... has he noticed Quill’s demeanor around_ him _?_  
  
Dunell allowed himself a moment to muse over this while the trio continued to talk.  
  
“I assume me and Dunell will be pairing because we’re probably the most sophisticated dancers here and therefore...”  
  
He barely caught the end of Lucius’ sentence, losing himself in his train of thought.  
  
“Well, I would say so, yes,” he mumbled out.  
  
“I wouldn’t want to step on your Birdie toes or your wild elf toes, but you two together would probably do something good.”  
  
The underlying dismissive tone of it all did not escape Dunell’s notice. Nor did it escape Quill either, who let out a chuckle tinged with disappointment.  
  
Aila either didn’t notice or didn’t care, the dwarf easily placing his bets on the latter. She simply soldiered on with the conversation.  
  
“Well I don’t dance, and he’s got one arm, so...” her thumb jammed in the direction of the aforementioned one-armed Aarakocra.  
  
The scratchy noise of a pencil writing began growing.  
  
“Yeah, I mean, Aarakocra normally dance in the sky, and I can’t really get up there.”  
  
The noises grew in frequency.  
  
Placing a hand on Quill’s shoulder, Aila said “It’s okay. We’ll just hit the bar and have drinks. It’s fine. It’s fine.”  
  
“Yeah, that sounds good,” he croaked out with a little laugh. Dunell could hear the underlying pain in Quill’s voice.  
  
The room filled with scratching noises.  
  
Lucius did not hear anything off apparently, saying “You can watch us, it’s fine. You don’t have to take part.”  
  
Quill simply took a quick look at the high elf, and Dunell could see what his eye was filled with at that moment: defeated resignation.  
  
_Ouch. He must have fallen hard for Lucius. That’s definitely the look of heartbreak right there._  
  
“O-oh, okay...”  
  
The Aarakocra barely let out a whisper, almost unheard underneath the noises which had turned furious at this point.  
  
The rest of the group hadn’t even noticed, being too caught up in this conversation, but it was hard to ignore the sound that flooded the room now.  
  
Aila was the first one to hear them, and began looking around for its source. It was hard to pinpoint in the room, but her eyes finally settled on Dusk Needle, more specifically, his hands, one of which was writing with a manic passion.  
  
“Hey, hey! What are you doing? What are you doing?”  
  
Dusk Needle paused, and simply looked up at her. “I am coming up with ideas.”  
  
“For me?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
Aila put up a hand for him stop. “I don’t really need anything.” She gestured at her rustic leather clothing. “I think this is fine, right? I can just wear this.”  
  
Lucius raised an eyebrow at that statement, but the ember elf didn’t question anything and merely apologized for the assumption.  
  
“Oh, don’t make that face at me, Lucius,” Aila said, staring daggers back at him.  
  
The subject was going to be dropped when Quill suddenly spoke up and asked “What have- what have you written about me?”  
  
Dusk Needle was happy to indulge his curiosity, and promptly began with his analysis of the Aarakocra.  
  
He had taken note of his injuries, his taloned feet, and many of the other things that those involved in fashion were quick to notice. However, Dusk Needle had also made comments on his personality, speaking of his affinity for the sky, his intellectual nature, and his shy and somewhat timid mannerisms.  
  
Dunell couldn’t help but agree with every point of this, surprised that the ember elf could read a person so thoroughly in only a few minutes.  
  
Quill looked less impressed, grabbing his own shoulder in an embarrassed sort of manner. “Well I w-wouldn’t call myself shy, nervous maybe...”  
  
Dusk Needle began listing off the characteristics of the rest of the group as well, leaving Dunell pleased with himself as a handsome dwarf with a very well-kept beard. At least according to the skilled fashion designer.  
  
_Hehehe, my charms never grow old, do they..._  
  
However, he made sure to clue himself into what Dusk Needle had to say about Lucius. Maybe he could figure out what Quill even saw in the high elf, because Dunell sure couldn’t figure it out anytime soon.  
  
“Your friend, he is very confident, very flamboyant, stands out in the crowd. He doesn’t seem to quite know what he wants, but he has an idea of something along those lines.”  
  
  _...That didn’t help at all. Anyone could see that just be looking at him!_ Dunell took a look at the man in question, trying to find an answer. _What is Quill attracted to in him? Is it the old ‘opposites attract’ adage in play here. I can certainly see that both of them_ are _practically exact opposites._  
  
What Dunell was sure of was that if Lucius wanted opposites to pair up, they didn’t even need to buy new outfits. Almost anyone could see how contrary those two together would be.  
  
_...Hold on... there’s an idea._  
  
The dwarf remembered what Lucius said earlier about how the contrasting outfits, when paired together, would create an ultimate beauty. Perhaps that concept applied to people as well...  
  
_If I could get those two to dance at the party, it may bring out those qualities in Lucius that Quill admires so much. Sayana knows I haven’t seen any of that, save for the money he has, but Quill doesn’t strike me as a shallow person._  
  
Dunell’s curiosity got hooked into this idea. What could he say? He always enjoyed people-watching. Especially if he was involved with it, which was more often than not.  
  
When the outfits were finally brought out, he had already made up a plan for getting the two of them to dance together. He was sure he could easily convince Lucius to go along with his plan, and Quill would most likely get caught up in his charisma. Even the clothes they were wearing could easily lend themselves to this scheme, so much that Dunell suspected that Dusk Needle could sense the tension between the pair and was solving it in his own way.  
  
The sun-and-moon outfit that Lucius had designed easily stood out, with its dark indigo and bright orange hues hard to miss, especially with the the high elf’s flamboyant demeanor.  
  
In contrast, Quill’s suit was a rather subdued and light sky-blue, accented with indigo trim and a substantial white cravat. Not anything truly stand-out, but nothing to scoff at either.  
  
Dunell’s mind easily saw what had been crafted by Dusk Needle with these outfits.  
  
The bright celestial body whose beauty is brought out with the ever-present sky.  
  
The dwarf hoped he would see some of that beauty tonight.  
  
And it better be worth it, since Lucius had been cleaned out paying for these outfits. He left his remaining two gold to Quill, who let himself be amused at these turn of events. “Heh, I have more money than Lucius,” he said, while the high elf remained absolutely mortified at his financial state.  
  
At least Quill wouldn’t sulk at the party.  
  
Nor did he even have time to, as the group quickly found themselves in a dangerous situation when the Cherrysong Trading Group HQ was taken over.  
  
A few fights, a number of dead lackeys, and one man kicked through a window later, and the party managed to return to some sense of normalcy.  
  
Granted, quite a few people found themselves at the bar, drinking away their trauma alongside Aila, who simply wanted to drink.  
  
Dunell led the rest of the guests into a dance on the dance floor overlooking the Stone Garden District, taking charge of the entertainment since the performer meant to do so ended up at the bar as well.  
  
He had been having a wonderful time for a while now, enjoying the music and Sentry’s company next to him. Who knew she would manage to win his heart?  
  
However, Dunell still had his plan brewing in the back of his mind, and waited for an opportunity to put it into action. Quill’s earlier negativity seemed to have disappear after the adrenaline rush fighting gave him, since he was eager to dance by himself instead of drinking with Aila.  
  
All he needed was to give Lucius the push to carry out this experiment.  
  
The high elf in question was looking confused right now, wondering why Dunell had asked him to teach Quill to dance.  
  
The bard answered. “Well, it was just a thought. I’ve been watching you and I must say that you are one of the most skilled dancers I have ever seen.”  
  
Lucius looked pleased by that.  
  
“Well, thank you, Dunell. Glad to know you’ve seen that. Still wish you would take me up on that dance offer, though.”  
  
“Well, who else would provide the music to dance to, Lucius? You certainly couldn’t show off your talent without any music.”  
  
However, Lucius’ face quickly returned to a confused state.  
  
“Why would that prompt you to say such a thing though? I know that I am an amazing dancer, but still, it is rather... unexpected wouldn’t you say?”  
  
Dunell simply smiled at the statement and put his plan into action.  
  
“Quill doesn’t quite know what he’s doing when he dances. It is a bit of an eyesore, wouldn’t you agree?”  
  
He indicated towards the Aarakocra in question, who was certainly doing... something.  
  
Lucius cringed at the sight and said “Okay, he is rather... avant-garde in his technique, but what does that have to do with me?”  
  
“It is Sundmira’s Day, and I don’t think you have neither the time nor the resources to give Quill a conventional gift anytime soon, do you?”  
  
A look of realization dawned on him, and that soon turned to worry.  
  
“That may be true, but I haven’t given any gifts to any of the rest of you, have I?”  
  
The bard chuckled at that, and began pointing out the ‘gifts' that Lucius had given the group.  
  
“Well, there is this fine custom outfit that you bought me earlier today, and I should say that it is a very fashionable gift from you, right?”  
  
“Oh. But I hadn’t given anything to Aila or Sentry either!”  
  
Dunell pointed at Sentry on the dance floor with a wide smile on her face, and at Aila chugging down the extremely alcoholic drinks at the bar.  
  
“I’m sure that those two think this party is a gift enough, and given that they’re fighters, your support in battle is certainly enough. You already took care of a few people yourself!”  
  
“Please don’t remind me,” he said, choking down a gag as he thought of those mercenaries' bodies going down.  
  
“I’m just saying, you’ve given everybody but Quill amazing gifts. And while the suit you bought him is certainly nice, perhaps a more substantial gift is in order.”  
  
Lucius stayed silent and looked down at his feet. He contemplated what he had been told.  
  
_Is that really something I should do? I’m not quite sure if I could even pull off teaching Quill, especially with so many people around. I don’t know..._  
  
Sensing the inner conflict, Dunell decided to give him one last push.  
  
“Lucius, you’re the only one who could pull this off. You have the grace and style to do so, and it would be much better to at least try rather than letting Quill continue to embarrass himself.”  
  
Lucius took one more look at Quill.  
  
His dancing left much to be desired.  
  
_Oh Mother Siaska, I can’t let everybody keep watching him doing that. It would be a crime against the gods themselves if I left him like that._  
  
Lucius let out a sigh and stared right at Dunell.  
  
“Fine, but at least make the music something simple so that it doesn’t take too much effort to teach him.”  
  
Perfection.  
  
“As you wish, Lucius.”  
  
Steeling his resolve, Lucius strode across the room and made his way towards Quill. As he passed by him, he grabbed his talons and swiftly led him off the dance floor.  
  
“Lucius, what are you-?”  
  
The high elf stopped and turned to face him.  
  
“Birdie, I simply cannot allow you to continue to embarrass the group like that. Whatever you were doing out there certainly was not dancing.”  
  
Quill’s eye squinted angrily back at Lucius.  
  
“Excuse me for trying to enjoy myself at this party. What did you expect from me? You know that I don’t even have a clue about dancing on the ground, let alone in a formal setting like this.”  
  
Lucius crossed his arms and looked right at him.  
  
“I know. That’s why I’m going to teach you how to dance on the ground in a formal setting. Now just follow me.”  
  
As Lucius walked towards the dance floor, Quill remained stunned by what he just heard.  
  
_He’s going to teach me how to dance? But why would he want to-_  
  
His train of thought was interrupted by Lucius’ hand wrapping around his wrist and dragging him to the center of the dance floor.  
  
“You know, it’s hard to teach a person to dance if they’re not on the dance floor.”  
  
Quill felt his legs move without him even thinking, being caught up in what was happening.  
  
“Why are you doing this, Lucius? If you want to teach me, it could be in a less... public place.”  
  
And suddenly, he was aware of the many eyes that had landed on him and Lucius as they headed towards the very center of the room. Many of the guests had, for some inexplicable reason, cleared the dance floor and taken their places near the edges of the dance floor. It didn’t take a genius to guess why so many people were staring at them.  
  
After all, who could ignore a one-armed, one-eyed Aarakocra being dragged at the wrist by the premiere dancer of the night?  
  
“Well, it won’t be Sundmira’s Day by the time we can do that, will it? And I still need to give you a gift, don’t I? It usually doesn’t do to teach in a live setting, but I’ll have to make do. It is the Lowlands after all.”  
  
Finally, the two of them had arrived at their destination and they faced each other. Lucius glanced at Dunell and nodded, cueing him to begin a new song.  
  
Promptly, his fingers began strumming a slower, more intimate waltz. Something definitely contrasting from his previous music selections.  
  
It was a bit... romantic.  
  
Both of them noticed this interesting choice of music, and a blush threatened to creep over both of their faces. Regardless, Lucius had to begin this lesson before they were too paralyzed by embarrassment.  
  
He bowed towards Quill and began with the standard niceties of dance.  
  
“I am Lucius Virion-Elluin Elenasto. May I have this dance?”  
  
Quill, understandably, was at a loss of what to do with this situation.  
  
Lucius whispered, “Bow back, introduce yourself, and accept.”  
  
He quickly made sure to do so.  
  
“I-I am Qillek Ad Khollar. I... graciously accept your offer.”  
  
Lucius then held out his left hand, offering it to Quill, who gingerly took it between his claw.  
  
_Good. At least Quill has common sense. Perhaps this won’t be as hard as I thought._  
  
Quill relaxed, feeling the warmth Lucius’s palm radiated.  
  
_This feels better. It reminds of that night in the Iron Weald. I just need to relax a bit more._  
  
Then, the high elf proceeded to place his other hand right on the Aarakocra’s waist, pulling Quill closer towards his body. Quill’s body filled with tension once more. He wasn’t prepared for this kind of intimacy. Sleeping was one thing, but being this close while awake was an entirely different story.  
  
His claw tightened greatly around Lucius’ hand, the talons starting to rip into the man’s gloves.  
  
“...Quill, I know that this outfit is already ruined, but please spare my gloves from that same carnage.”  
  
Quill saw that Lucius’ face had started to grow pained, and he quickly released his grip on his hand.  
  
“Sorry, sorry! I just didn’t expect you to, um, put your hand there. And, we’re sort of close together, aren’t we?”  
  
Lucius let out a warm chuckle at that, and smiled at Quill.  
  
“It’s meant to help me and you when we’re dancing. It makes sure that I can lead you wherever we dance to, and it makes sure that you can follow me closely as well. You can back off a little if you don’t feel comfortable.”  
  
He waited for Quill to take a few steps back, but he remained in place.  
  
“No, if it helps with teaching me to dance, then I’m fine with it.”  
  
Lucius looked at him in the eye, waited for him to relax, and leaned in closer to give some advice.  
  
“Just follow me and listen the music. If you can feel the beat, then you’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry. I’m here to guide you.”  
  
Quill nodded firmly, and the two of them began to dance around the floor.  
  
It was clumsy, of course, and there were many times when both of them accidentally stepped on each other at first. Quill spent most of those first few minutes staring down at the ground, watching their feet and trying not to accidentally claw his talons into Lucius’ boots.  
  
Eventually, like with all things, Quill learned the movement and rhythm enough where he didn’t feel completely incompetent with dancing. He just kept his head down and counted the beats in his mind.  
  
_...one, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three..._  
  
Despite this, Lucius could still feel a certain tenseness in Quill’s movement. He was glad that he could at least keep to the rhythm, but dancing was meant to be a fun activity, not a military drill.  
  
“Birdie...”  
  
  _...one, two, three..._  
  
“Birdie.”  
  
  _...one, two, three..._  
  
“Quill!”  
  
The Aarakocra jumped a bit by the sudden forcefulness in Lucius’ voice. It wasn’t just the volume that had caught him off guard, it was also the fact that the man had used his actual name.  
  
Quill slowly looked up and right into the high elf’s face, which felt closer than before.  
  
He swallowed and opened his beak.  
  
“Yes, Lucius?”  
  
The man stared directly at Quill’s own eye,  his bright orange and blue eyes catching all of his attention.  
  
“You’re far too tense right now, Quill. It is meant to be a relaxing experience where you can let yourself go, and I’m not sure if you’re enjoying yourself right now.”  
  
Quill blinked at the statement and hastily responded.  
  
“No, no, I am having a good time with this, honestly!” he reassured. He never expected that he would do something like this, and he certainly didn’t want Lucius to stop because he might have seemed uncomfortable with it.  
  
Lucius let out a deep breath and said, “Very well. However, if you are enjoying yourself, it would be better if you didn’t stare at the floor the whole time. It is rather rude.”  
  
Quill looked sheepish and averted his gaze. “Sorry about that...”  
  
“Just remember what I told you earlier this night. Back straight, beak up, and eye forward. At the very least, I want to see your face while we’re dancing. It lets me know that I’m a good teacher, especially with that smile of yours.”  
  
Lucius’ voice dripped with kindness and genuine feelings. They flowed right into Quill’s ears and went straight to his heart.  
  
He felt that deep warmth once again, the one that reminded him of why he loved Lucius so much.  
  
He lifted up his head, set a steady gaze, and allowed himself to smile brightly with Lucius.  
  
The two of them shined brightly together on the dance floor, and the guests found themselves entranced by what they saw between them.  
  
Most importantly, Dunell had found his answer to the question he had been asking all day.  
  
_The rich fool with a heart of gold, huh?  Heh, didn’t quite expect Quill to be such a sentimental person._ He watched his work fondly, proud of his efforts this night. Another achievement to add to his portfolio as Honeysung.  
  
_Well, I’ve had my fill of fun tonight. Now, let’s get the party truly started!_  
  
Almost immediately, he picked up the pace of the song, bringing some well-needed energy into the ballroom. The spectators quickly joined the pair on the dance floor, flooding the empty space, and the party had new life breathed into it.  
  
But all of them made sure to give Lucius and Quill the space they needed. The two of them remained in their own little world, focused on each other as they glided around the room. They were the center of the world, their outfits bringing them together and drawing everything around them. Their dancing looked like a continuous cycle of day and night, sun and moon anchored by the sky in their orbits.  
  
It could only be described as celestial beauty.  
  
Eventually, the song began to wind down, and the sound of bells from outside indicated that it was 2am, extremely late for any sort of respectable social gathering.  
  
Many of the guests began leaving at once, desiring to rest and forget the more grisly events from earlier. Some of them had already done so at the bar, becoming alcoholic amnesiacs.  
  
With the sounds of shuffling feet and stumbling drunks, only a few people were left in the room by the time the song ended. The last few strums of a lute brought Lucius and Quill to a standstill in the center of a now-empty dance floor.  
  
It took a few moments for either of them to register the now-absent crowd. Both of them quickly let go of their hands and took a step backwards from each other, putting a less-intimate amount of space between them. They stood in silence then, both men processing the fact that they had just danced with each other, and that it was actually quite good.  
  
Quill was the first one to speak up then.  
  
“Um... thank you, Lucius. For giving me that dance. I really enjoyed it.”  
  
Lucius sprang back into his usual demeanor, his air of confidence surrounding him once more.  
  
“You’re welcome, Birdie. I must say, you picked up on land dancing very quickly. You were almost as good as me!”  
  
While those words may have insulted anyone who didn’t know the high elf, Quill knew that there was no malice behind them. It was just the innocent arrogance that he had been dealing with for weeks now. He could only chuckle at what Lucius said and retorted back “Well if I’m almost as good as you my first time, than wouldn’t that mean I could surpass you the next time I do it?”  
  
Lucius made a face of mock offense and turned away from Quill, crossing his arms in a show of faux superiority.  
  
“Well learning it is the easy part. Mastering it takes years of hard work, and I’ve been taught to go above and beyond even that. You may get close, but know that I will always be the best dancer in this group.”  
  
Smiling, Quill began walking off the dance floor, but before he stepped off, he looked back at Lucius and said “Well it was a good thing I had such an amazing teacher to help me.”  
  
The high elf could only stand still at that statement as Quill met up with Sentry and Dunell, talking with joy written all over his face.  
  
He remained there contemplating that side of Quill that appeared for that brief moment. It was certainly different from what he was used to from the Aarakocra, and yet... there was something about it that felt...  
  
Alluring.  
  
That thought was quickly interrupted by Aila coming up to him, finishing off one last pint of the Sky City alcohol before leaving it on a table she passed by.  
  
“Hey Lucius, once we get to Gusthaven, you think you get me more of that stuff? I think I’ve found something about Sky Cities that I actually like!”  
  
It took a moment for him to register her presence, and needed a few quick snaps in front of his face before he answered.  
  
“Oh, well, I could try. I will have to get an allowance from Daddy for that though. Importing between Sky Cities can be quite expensive you know!”  
  
Aila rolled her eyes at that.  
  
“Yeah, I’m really not surprised by that. Just hook me up with a few canteens of those and I’ll be raring to go anytime.”  
  
She stretched her arms above her head and took a look around the empty room.  
  
“I think it’s time that we got going now, don’t you think? I’m sure Valla is having a hell of a time trying to keep Nova from ruining the bathroom with her sick.”  
  
Waving over to Sentry, Quill, and Dunell, she noticed that Lucius had been rather subdued. He seemed to be looking off into the distance, detached from what was happening. Surprising herself, she felt a bit concerned for him, since he lacked his usual flamboyance that kept her annoyed.  
  
“Hey, uh, Lucius? You alright there? You seem a bit out of it.”  
  
Lucius heard it quickly this time, and he waved his hand at her to dismiss her worry.  
  
“No, I’m fine, Aila, honestly. I’m just a bit exhausted by this party. Being the center of attention can take it you out really quickly.”  
  
A scoff was all that escaped Aila’s mouth at that point.  
  
“So, I take it you enjoyed the party then? Got a good gift?”  
  
Lucius took once glance at Quill, thought for a single moment, and looked Aila straight with a steadfast gaze.  
  
“Yes,” he nodded, “A really good one. I think it might be my favorite Sundmira’s Day present.”  
  
He strode forward to meet them halfway.  
  
_It was the greatest gift I could have ever asked for._


End file.
